Oregon Music News

One of my favorite Coffeeshop Conversations guests is here again. She’s Sarah Tiedemann, Third Angle New Music’s Artistic Director, and also a flutist. Third Angle’s exciting new season is already underway and Sarah will tell us all about it. Our next two episodes are special...this one is too, but we’re marking episodes 400 and 401 with a very personal story from Dave Fleschner about recovery...that’s 400 and an inspiring look to the future from MizEtta, Arietta Ward. But first, let’s welcome back Sarah Tiedemann.

We're back in the café at Artichoke Music which you can find at 2007 SE Powell Boulevard, for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. We’ve got two more video episodes coming up. We’re shooting them soon. But today, Ezra Weiss is here, he’s a Jazz pianist and composer who’s latest album. “We Limit Not the Truth of God” apparently blew everyone away when his big band performed it live at the Montavilla Jazz Festival. It’s an attempt to deal with the babies in cages life we lead every day, as many musicians are trying to deal with these days. But it didn’t start out that way. Let’s meet Ezra Weiss

The last time Lisa Lipton sat here in the Artichoke Music Cafe was in August of 2020. I noted at the time what a busy person she was with multiple artistic and executive directorships, plus teaching and a full schedule of her clarinet playing. She still does all that but recently she was brought on as Executive Director of 45th Parallel Universe in addition to retaining the same position with Opera Theater Oregon, as well as Co-founder/Co-owner of Mendelssohn’s, Portland's first classical music-themed bar. We recorded our conversation a few weeks ago on her first full day as the capo di tutti capi at 45th Parallel and to say she was psyched is putting it mildly. They have a concert on Tuesday March 5, Pulse and Pillars: an Evening with Andy Akiho and Gemini Percussion. But now let’s hear what Lisa Lipton has to say about her big day.

We’ll be back at the Artichoke Music Café next time but this episode had to be recorded today, before a fund raiser to help complete a documentary on the life and death of one of Oregon’s favorite musicians, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist member of Pink Martini and Lions of Batucada among others; Derek Reith who committed suicide in August of 2014. Today Director Joanie Fox will talk to us about Derek, the film and the fund raiser which is being held at Pink Martini World Headquarters in downtown Portland on Thursday, April 4, 5-30 to 7pm. Let’s welcome for the first time, Joanie Fox.

We’re not in the Artichoke Café this time because although our guest Doug MacLeod will be performing there on Saturday, October 7, he’s not rolling into town until the day of the gig. Such is life on the road. So instead, when we talked, he was in Memphis and I was right here in Portland. Doug is a legendary Blues singer, guitar picker and storyteller. He’s been out there doing all three for several decades and he just seems to get better every year. He’s got great stories and not only about himself. Doug has seven Blues Music Awards and about a million nominations for others. Listen to “Unmarked Road” at the end of our conversation. You’re gonna like Doug MacLeod.